Tornadoes

            

 Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay in this weeks post! As you may have heard last week in Ohio we had  a tornado. So I thought that this week I would talk about tornadoes. We will talk about how they are made, how much destruction they cause and how dangerous they are.  

        

Tornadoes are formed from powerful thunderstorms, particularly those known as supercells. These thunderstorms develop when warm, humid air from the ground rises and meets cooler, drier air in the atmosphere. This collision creates instability and can lead to the formation of a rotating updraft, known as a mesocyclone. As the mesocyclone intensifies, it can stretch vertically and tighten, much like a figure skater pulling in their arms to spin faster. When this rotation extends downward and touches the ground, it becomes a tornado. The process is influenced by wind shear, which is the change in wind speed and direction with height, helping to tilt the rotating air and sustain the tornado.             Tornadoes are among the most destructive natural phenomena, capable of causing widespread devastation in a matter of minutes. Their powerful winds, which can exceed 250 miles per hour, can tear apart homes and businesses, destroy bridges, and flip vehicles12. The intense pressure differences within a tornado can even strip the bark off trees and suck water from riverbeds.             Tornadoes are extremely dangerous and can cause significant destruction and loss of life. Their danger level is often measured using the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale, which ranges from EF0 to EF5 based on estimated wind speeds and the damage they cause.                  Well thats all for todays. See you next week on Environment Kids!